The present invention relates to checkout counters and more particularly to a checkout counter which incorporates an optical reader for reading coded labels and automatically inserting the generated information into a POS (point of sale) electronic cash register or a data terminal device. This arrangement requires the operator, during the checkout operation, to merely move each purchased merchandise item past the optical reader without attending to the POS terminal device, thereby measurably increasing the speed of the checkout operation.
A new concept in merchandising is that of the warehouse supermarket in which the customer loads a shopping cart with items purchased from the warehouse shelves. A checkout operator, in processing the purchased merchandise items, will remove the items from the shopping cart positioned adjacent the operator by the purchaser, will index a code number identifying the item into a terminal device and after the price has been displayed and printed, will place the purchased merchandise item in a second shopping cart also located adjacent the operator. This type of checkout operation does not require a flat counter top on which a merchandise items are positioned prior to a checkout operation. Present checkout counters employed in this type of merchandising operation have been limited to a support stand for the data terminal device in which the checkout operator reads an item identifying code printed on a label attached to the purchased merchandise item and indexing such code number into the terminal device. As a result of this arrangement, the speed of the checkout operation is relatively slow.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a checkout counter which will increase the checkout operation of merchandise items in which the purchased merchandise items are removed and processed directly from a shopping cart.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a checkout counter which includes an optical scanner for scanning purchased merchandise items which are moved past the scanner when the items are removed directly from a shopping cart.
It is another object of this invention to provide a checkout counter which is simple in construction and therefore low in cost.